Congratulations on your celebration of the 40th
Anniversary of the establishment of Academy Aikido Jyuku in Malaysia.
Forty years ago, Yamada Jun Shihan was passionately practicing Aikido in
the morning class of Ueshiba Kishomaru [the 2nd Doshu] at Hombu Dojo.
Within that same year, Yamada Shihan brought that same passion to
Malaysia and planted his Aikido "roots" -
nurturing it with his blood & soul - a deep commitment from which today
we can clearly witness the result of his many years of dedication. Forty
years ago, the development of Aikido within and outside of Japan was
done only on a small scale. Today however, Aikido is enjoyed and
practiced in over 95 countries by people from all walks of life and by
all age groups from young children to senior/silver folk . This is the
direct result of the direct result of the dedication of instructors in
perpetuating the spirit & philosophy of Aikido as from when it was first
handed down from our Founder, Morihei Ueshiba to the 2nd Doshu,
Kisshomaru Ueshiba, then to me, and so on down through to each
individual Aikido practitioner. Credit should be acknowledged
where deserved - to instructors such as Yamada Shihan who left their
home country of Japan to spread the teachings of Aikido and who have
thus contributed significantly in the development of Aikido in foreign
countries. Today, there are many dojos outside Japan that have
accomplished laying a solid foundation of Aikido - dojos that have grown
not only in size but with the development of their craft, significantly
contributing to the historical development of Aikido and also cultural
appreciation of Japan in foreign lands. Academy
Aikido Jyuku is one such entity, having developed a strong
following-many practitioners of whom are now actively committed to
extending and carrying on the perpetuation of the art. Establishing a 40-year history of Aikido in Malaysia is truly a
remarkable achievement. I hope this beacon of Aikido in Malaysia,
established through the painstaking efforts of Yamada Shihan over these
last four decades, will be cherished and protected, and that the circle
of Aikido continues to flourish and touch the lives of many more in the
future.

First of all, I would like to extend
my heartiest congratulations to Academy Aikido Jyuku on its
celebration of 40 years of establishment in this country to
commemorate this special occasion. This year 2012 marks the 30th
anniversary of the Look East Policy, which was introduced in 1982 by
then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir. Under the look East Policy,
many young Malaysians have further studied in Japan and subsequently
contributed to the human capital development in both our countries.
Throughout this year, we are celebrating this significant milestone
and today's demonstration is one of the anniversary events.
The word 'Aikido' is made up of three ideograms: "合（Ai）"- to meet or
join together, "気(Ki)"- energy, spirit; and "道"(Do)"
- path or road. Combined together, 'Aikido' could be loosely translated
as 'a path one follows in the practice of uniting one's energy or
spirit'. Aikido is a holistic endeavour that not only incorporates physical self-defense techniques,
but also emphasizes the development of positive human qualities, hence
improving the individual and society as a whole. Combined together,
'Aikido' could be loosely translated as 'a path one follows in the
practice of uniting one's energy or spirit'. Aikido is a holistic endeavour that not only incorporates physical self-defense techniques,
but also emphasizes the development of positive human qualities, hence
improving the individual and society as a whole. I sincerely hope
that this two-day event will serve to cultivate future generations of
Aikido-ka or Aikido athletes who will grow and continue to interact with
each other across the borders of different nationalities and
organizations. O am certain that participants will engage meaningfully
with the spirit of Aikido and deepen their understanding of the spirit
of Aikido by appreciating the masters' beautiful posture, dignity and
elegance of their movements, and even to draw inspirations from them to
develop their character. With the 30th anniversary of the
Look East Policy as an excellent opportunity to further develop Japan
Malaysia relations in various fields, I envisage a further in
which our bilateral relations will be taken a higher level, thereby
playing greater roles in the international scene and tackling various
challenges from the global perspective.

Jun Yamada Shihan 40th Anniversary ended successfully after a
two-day seminar on the 20th and 21st October 2012. It was held at the
Olympic Council of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. As part of the 30th anniversary of
the Look East Policy which was introduced by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir
in 1982, this seminar was sponsored by Japan Information Service of the Embassy
of Japan in Malaysia and Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur. This event was also held
in conjunction with the "Third Aikido Fellowship" South East Asia (AF-SEA),
whereby Academy Aikido
Jyuku was the host.

Led by Arai Shihan (8th Dan), Fukakusa Shihan (8th Dan) and
George Chang Shihan (7th Dan), the seminar saw faces of five high-levelled Dan
participants from Gunma Aikido Federation, passionate aikido practitioners from
Hong Kong. Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia,
UAE, UK, and USA and enthusiastic practitioners from the local dojos all around
Malaysia. In all, there were about 200 people whose appearances made this event a memorable one.

The organizer would like to thank every individual
who helped made this event a success.

Dato Sri Effendi Norwawi, the former Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department in charge of The Economic Planning Unit, was present
during the demonstration at the seminar. In the later part of the event, Datuk
Norah Abdul Rahman, who is a member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the
Tanjong Manis constituency in Sarawak, graced the dinner party.

For information on the
previous 35th Anniversary celebration, click here.